WO2005104913A1

WO2005104913A1 - Self-checkout device

Info

Publication number: WO2005104913A1
Application number: PCT/DE2005/000537
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernd Kruse
Original assignee: Wincor Nixdorf International Gmbh
Priority date: 2004-04-27
Filing date: 2005-03-24
Publication date: 2005-11-10
Also published as: DE102004020629A1; DE102004020629B4; EP1740076A1; EP1740076B1

Abstract

Disclosed is a self-checkout device (1) comprising a support housing (2), a merchandise detecting location (3) which is arranged externally on the support housing (2), and a merchandise shelf (4) that is embodied as a weighing mechanism and is provided with a shelf bottom (5) and a rear wall (6) and/or a sidewall (7). Several bag holders (9) which are configured in the form of support arms (8) are provided at the top of the rear wall (6) and/or the sidewall (7). Said support arms (8) are slidably connected to the rear wall (6) and/or the sidewall (7) and/or can be swiveled from an operative position into an inoperative position.

Description

Self-service checkout

The present invention relates to a self-service checkout device with a carrier housing, a goods detection area provided on the outside of the carrier housing and with a goods rack designed as a weighing device with a shelf and a rear wall and / or side wall, preferably several in shape on the rear wall and / or the side wall bag holders formed by support arms are provided.

Self-service checkout facilities of the aforementioned type are known in which the goods selected by a customer are recorded and paid for by the customer. The customer brings the goods he desires to the goods entry station and leads them there to a scanning process in which, for example, a barcode on the goods is scanned by means of a barcode reader. When the goods are identified by scanning the barcode, the goods price and the goods type are determined: However, it is also conceivable to use an RFID chip to identify the goods.

After the goods have been identified, they are placed on a goods shelf designed as a weighing device. The weighing device forms a control unit with which a comparison can be made as to whether the weight read corresponds to the weight actually measured and thus serves to check that the scanning process has been carried out correctly.

The goods shelf has several bag holders in the form of trannies, on which shopping bags are hung, in which the customer can fill his goods. The bag holders can also be used to hold a bag or bag brought by the customer. In the known self-service checkout devices, the bag holders are rigidly arranged support arms, the arrangement and positioning of which are invariably predetermined by the construction chosen in each case.

The object of the present invention is to improve a self-service checkout device of the generic type, particularly in the area of goods storage, in such a way that the area of goods storage can be used more conveniently and flexibly by a customer.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the support arms arranged on the rear wall and / or side wall are mounted displaceably and / or can be pivoted from a use position into a non-use position.

With the invention, the advantage is achieved that the support arms are mounted displaceably in relation to one another in their distance and / or in height and / or can be pivoted into a non-use position, so that a customer can have both their own bags or shopping bags on the support arms after special adjustment of the can hang the necessary distance from each other or can also use a shopping basket to store his goods in this shopping basket. If a basket is used, all support arms can be in a non-use position e.g. be pivoted by folding away and thus do not disturb the handling area when the shopping basket is infested. It goes without saying that the goods shelf designed as a weighing device offers the possibility, after placing a shopping basket on the weighing device, to be able to initially adjust it to a zero position, so that only the weight of the goods placed in the shopping basket is then determined ,

The pivotable support arms can advantageously be pivoted into their non-use position by return springs when not in use.

This has the advantage that when a shopping basket is used, a customer can place it on the goods shelf immediately and without hindrance by the support arms, since all of the support arms are in their non-use position. loading on the other hand, if the customer uses his own bag or shopping bag he has brought with him, it is only necessary for the customer to swivel the two support arms into their use position, which can be used to hang up the container they have brought with them.

According to a development of the invention, the support arms are provided at their free ends with a preferably spherical thickening.

Alternatively, the support arms can also carry a preferably spherical knob at their free ends.

In both cases, there is a comfortable handling of the support arms in the event that manual pivoting may become necessary, and the risk of injuries when inattentively handling the filling area of a bag, a shopping bag, a shopping basket or the like is significantly reduced.

Further features of the invention are the subject of further dependent claims.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings and are described in more detail below. Show it:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a self-service checkout facility;

FIG. 2 shows a highly schematic perspective illustration of a goods shelf of the self-service checkout device according to FIG. 1 designed as a weighing device;

3 shows a section along the line III in Figure 2;

4 shows a section along the line IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a section corresponding to Figure 3 according to another embodiment of the invention, and

6 shows a section along the line VI in FIG. 5.

In Figure 1, the reference numeral 1 designates a self-service checkout device, which comprises a carrier housing 2.

Provided on the outside on the carrier housing 2 is a goods detection station 3 and a goods rack 4 designed as a weighing device.

Since the functions of both the goods entry station 3 and the goods storage 4 as well as further functional elements of the self-service checkout device 1 are generally known, a detailed description and description of these elements has been omitted here.

As can be seen particularly clearly from FIG. 2, the goods rack 4 is equipped with a base 5, with a rear wall 6 and a side wall 7.

Both on the rear wall 6 and on the side wall 7, a plurality of bag holders 9 designed in the form of support arms 8 are provided on the upper side.

The support arms 8 are horizontally displaceable relative to the rear wall 6 or the side wall 7 and / or can be pivoted from a horizontal use position shown in FIG. 2 into a vertical or almost vertical non-use position. However, it is also conceivable that the support arms 8 are vertically displaceable in height and / or can be folded away horizontally to the side.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a possible embodiment for both horizontally displaceable and pivotable support arms 8. These FIGS. 3 and 4 make it clear that each support arm 8 is connected to a guide piece 11 so that it can pivot about an axis 10, the guide piece 11 in each case a guide rail 12 is mounted to be longitudinally displaceable. The guide rail 12 is there provided with a longitudinal slot 13 through which a bearing fork 14 receiving the axis 10 is passed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support arms 8 can be pivoted out of their horizontal position of use up to a vertical or almost vertical end position. It is possible to load the support arms 8 by means of return springs (not shown) in such a way that the support arms are forcibly pivoted upwards into their non-use position when not in use. Thus, these support arms 8 do not protrude into the area of the base of the floor 5 and do not interfere when a customer places a shopping basket on the floor 5 of the goods shelf 4.

If, on the other hand, a customer uses, as shown in FIG. 2, bags 15 provided or brought by himself or, as an alternative, shopping bags, the customer can hang these bags 15 or shopping bags on two of the respective support arms 8, which most closely match the dimensions of the distance between them bags used 15 or shopping bags correspond. If necessary, this distance can also be specially adapted by moving one or both support arms 8 to one another.

As can be seen particularly from FIG. 3, a preferably spherical thickening, in particular a spherical knob 16, is attached to the front, free ends of the support arms 8. This thickening or the knob 16 on the one hand prevent a bag 15 or shopping bag suspended from the support arms 8 from slipping, on the other hand facilitate handling when moving or pivoting the support arms 8 and ultimately also reduce the risk of injury when handling the area of the support arms 8.

The knob 16 can be tinted in one piece on the respective support arm 8 or placed on a support arm 8 as a separate component made of plastic, rubber or the like. FIGS. 5 and 6 show a further exemplary embodiment for the guidance and design of the support arms 8 of the bag holders 9.

In this embodiment, the support arms 8 are only horizontally displaceably mounted in corresponding guide rails 12. The guide rail 12 is rectangular or square in cross section and is provided with teeth 17 on the inside in the region of the lower leg.

A guide part 11 located within the guide rail 12 is equipped with a corresponding counter toothing. The guide part 11 has a lower overall height than the clear height of the guide rail 12, so that the guide part 11 can be raised in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 6 until the two toothings of the guide rail 12 and the guide part 11 are disengaged. If this is the case, the relevant support arm 8 can be moved horizontally in the sense of the double arrow B in FIG. 6. If the support arm 8 is then released again after a displacement, the guide part 11 moves down again and assumes a position secured against displacement by engaging the mutual toothing.

As an alternative to this, it is of course also possible to provide a clamping device in order to secure an assumed displacement position of a support arm 8 against unintentional displacement.

In addition, the construction shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in which a securing of an assumed displacement position is achieved, can be combined with a pivotable mounting of the support arms 8. This could in turn be designed similarly to the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4.

A goods shelf 4 designed as a weighing device according to the above statements can advantageously also be used wherever weighing devices of a general type are provided. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 self-service checkout facility

2 carrier housings

3 goods entry area

4 goods storage

5 shelves

6 rear wall

7 side wall

8 support arm

9 bag holder

10 axis

11 guide piece

12 guide rail

13 longitudinal slot

14 storage fork

15 bags

16 knobs

17 gearing

Claims

claims

1. Self-service checkout device (1) with a carrier housing (2), a goods detection area (3) provided on the outside of the carrier housing (2) and with a goods rack (4) designed as a weighing device with a shelf (5) and with a rear wall (6) and / or side wall (7), wherein on the rear wall (6) and / or the side wall (7) has a plurality are preferably the top side in the form of support ^arms' (8) formed bag holders (9), characterized in that the supporting arms (8) displaceably are arranged on the rear wall (6) and or the side wall (7) and / or can be pivoted from a use position into a non-use position.

2. Self-service checkout device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support arms (8) relative to the rear wall (6) and / or side wall (7) are horizontally and / or vertically displaceable.

3. Self-service checkout device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support arms (8) are pivoted into their non-use position by return springs when not in use.

4. Self-service checkout device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support arms (8) are provided at their free ends with a preferably spherical thickening.

5. Self-service checkout device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support arms (8) carry at their free ends a preferably spherical knob (16) made of plastic, rubber or the like.

6. Self-service checkout device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support arms (8) are secured in every possible sliding position against unintentional sliding.

7. Self-service checkout device according to claim 6, characterized in that a clamping device is provided as a protection against displacement against unintentional displacement of the support arms (8).

8. Self-service checkout device according to claim 6, characterized in that the support arms (8) are positively secured against unintentional displacement.

9. Self-service checkout device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support arms (8) are fastened to guide parts (11) which are secured within a guide rail (12) by teeth (17) against unintentional displacement.